Orchard heater



Feb.- 12, 1929. 1,701,727

H. S. PHILLIPS ORCHARD HEATER Filed March 10, 1926 ramm d Feb. 12, 1929. i

HENRY s'. rnrrmrs, or covmA, CALIFORNIA.

0301mm) nmrrinf Application filed March 10, 1926. Serial No. 93,571.

Th6 present invention relates to orchard heaters and more particularly devices of the type adapted for use in generating and burning gases fromliquid fuels of different qualities and natures and which contains its own fuelreservoir for holdin a sufiicient supply of liquid fuel for a suitable period of operation.

It is one of the prime and underlying oblO' jects of my present invention to supply, in

such a heater as set forth, a simple and continuous fuel feeding means including a plurality of wick elements and to effect thorough and complete admixture of the atmospheric air with the fuel gases in a manner to cause the complete combustion of all of the fuel.

' A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved means in the heater by which the liquid fuel is capilarily su plied by wick elements, in-a manner to e ect the admixture of the products of combustion with the atmospheric air above the level of the liquid fuel at approximately the upper central part of the reservoir, contiguous to the distributing chamber and then evenly distributing the heated gases to the chimney. I

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means by which air for the burners is directed towards the oenter of the fuel tank or reservoir whereby admixture with the heated gases at this point 'is'effected.

The invention will be best understood from the following detailed description "taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of. this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to an strict conformity with the showing in t e drawing,

-. but may be changed and modified so' long as such changes and modifications make no material departure from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved heater in its entirety; with a portion of the deflecting-hood broken away;

Fig.2 is an nlarged vertical section witha part of the 1 Wer chimney section broken away andillustrating the burner wicks in operative position;

. Fig. 3'is an enlarged top plan view of one. ofthe draft regulators, showing the rotarydisk in position to permit the introduction of air into the reservoir;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 3 illustrating oneof the wick elements and an air inlet regulator;

.Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 illustrating the wick retaining means.

The invention, in its present form, comprises an orchard heater having a fuel receptacle 10 and a cover 11 therefor. Arranged on the cover 11 are the air inlet openings 12 and 13, having the inwardly turned flanges 14 around their edges.

The flanges 14 act as a support forthe closure caps 15 having collars 16 extending within the openings 12 and 13, and secured to the flanges 16 are the depending wick casings 17, extending downwardly into the fuel receptacle at an angle toward the lower central partthereof, the lower ends being relatively slightly separatedas shown, and

spaced equidistant from the central the bottom of the fuel receptacle.

Pivoted centrally and resting closely upon the closure caps 15 are the rotary disks 18,

point of having openlngs 19, appropriately located therein and adapted to be brought into direct registration with similar openings 20 in the caps. Also connected to the rotary disks 18 in any'appropriate manner, are the shields 21, which function to shelter or cover the openings 19 and 20, when the same are in. register, likewise functioning to direct a blast of air downwardly in the direction of and against the angularly disposed wick casings 17. y

The wick casings 17 are of semi-'arcuate configuration in cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 5 and areperforated as at 22, throughout their entire length.

An asbestos wick 23 is secured to the interior surface of each of the casings 17, by crimping the longitudinal edges thereof as indicated in Fig. 5, and extends the entire length of the casings.

The cover, 11 is provided with a central opening and the metal at this point is outwardly flared as at25, and. a. collar 27 is in turnspot welded to the flared portion 215 of the cover and over which is fitted the lower end of the section 28 of the stack. The

stack section 28 is provided with a plurality of rows of openings 29 arranged in staggered atmospheric air into the stack during the operation of the heater, and cause it to relation and wh1ch are adapted to draw mingle in an u ward movement or draft, with the partly urned volatile gases of the fuel. In the punching operation to provide the openings 29, inverted louvers 30 are formed on the interior of the wall of the stack section inwardly of the openings 29, having the effect of directin the incoming I air upwardly along the inside of the stack and to prevent the incoming air from going toward the center of the stack.

An imperforate truncated upper stack section 31 is secured in any appropriate mannor to the upper end of the lower stack section 28 and a deflector shield 32 is riveted to the lower peripheral edge of the upper stack section\3l and envelopes a part of the upper end of the lower stack section 28, and also the top surface of the cover 11 of the receptacle thus serving to direct the passage of the atmospheric air upwardly through the openings 29to the stack proper.

A third stack section 33 is formed with an enlarged lower collar 34 adapted to be fitted upon the upper end of section 31, while on its top is located a cap 35 formed of sheet metal curved in inverted U-fornr to provide side passages 36 leading from the interior of stack section 33, these passages extending at angles to the vertical axis of the stack. v

The fuel ordinarily used in heaters of this character is heavy and slow burning oil, which unless properly controlled, forms a relatively large flame of heavy gas and smoke, which in a restricted area soon chokes out air of combustion and causes the flame to be extinguished, and to obviate this defect, and in the endeavor to continuously burn all of the oil in the receptacle, various air deflecting plates and draft tubeshave been utilized to direct a constant flow of air upon thesurface of the liquid fuel for supporting combustion It has been found that such devices fail in a measure to function, when" the level of the oil is relatively low and the oil less volatile, and to overcome this objectionable feature and to cause the continuous and complete utilization of all of the fuel oil, it have provided capillary means for raising the liquid above its normal level for purposes of admixing it with the incoming air.-

When the appliance is constructed with two wick casings, said wick casings should be disposed diametrically opposite to each other, so that a symmetrical supply of air will be furnished to the central portion of the appliance from each side thereof. The openings 20 in the closure caps above the wicks are located between the centers of these caps and the sides thereof nearest to the stack, and the upper end of each wick is locatedfarther from the stack than said openings.

Tn operation, the receptacle isjlled su1hciently to submerge the greater portion of each wick with liquid fuel and the drafts are regulated in accordance with the degree of heat required. Then one of the draft regulators connected to a wick casing is lifted bodily from the opening in the receptacle, and a torch applied to the asbestos wick, which meanwhile has become" thoroughly impregnated with oil. The flame emanating from the wicks vwill be directed outwardly and upwardly therefrom in the direction towards the upper central part of the receptacle, resulting from the angular inclination of the wick casings. The atmospheric air entering through the draft openings will be directed ,into the ascending gases, mixing with the same to produce a continuous supply of combustible gaseous mixture.

A greater number of wicks may be utilized depending upon the size of the receptacle to be employed.

As long as any of the liquid fuel remains in the receptacle, capillary force will continuously elevate the liquid to the-wicks and thus present a burning area the entire length thereof.

The heat thus generated passes upwardly through the stack sections and atmospheric air is introduced through the openings 29 in the lower stack section, which provides draft means for circulating the heat through the upper stack section 31 and outwardly through the passages 36 of the cap 35.

The air regulating devices may be adjusted for fast ano. slow burning of the fuel oil as desired and likewise, the asbestos wicks may be replaced in the respective casings when burned out.

lVhat I claim is:-

1. In an orchard heater, comprising a fuel receptacle including a cover, a stack connected centrally thereto, a pair of arcuate diametrically opposite casings secured to the cover and extending at opposed angles towards the lower central part of the receptacle, wicks connected to the casings for raising fuel in said receptacle, and means for introducing air into the space defined by the cover and wicks, at points located between said wicks and stack.

2. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle including a cover and a heat distributing stack connected thereto, the said cover provided with angularly disposed openings on opposite sides of the said stack, caps fitting within said cover openings, arcuate casings secured to said caps and ex tending at opposed angles towards and having their lower ends spaced from the bottom of the receptacle at its central part, asbestos wicks detachably connected to the casings, disks adjustable on the closure caps for regulating the admission of air to the receptacle against said wicks for admixture with the combustible gases issuing therefrom, and the said stack bein formedwith draft openings for directing air upwardly through the said .staek.

3. In an orchard heater, the combination with 'a-fuel receptacle having a centrally located stack and an air inlet opening spaced laterally away from said stack, of an armate wick supporting casing, a marginal flange around said air inlet opening supporting said wick casing at the side of said opening farthest from said stack, there being an unobstructed airspace between said wick casing at its upper. end and said stack, and a regulatable inlet cap over said air inlet opening. I

4. In an orchard heater, the combination with a fuel receptacle having a cover, a centrally located top opening,,an air inlet opening and a stack projecting upwardly from said central opening; of a wick casing, a wick therein, a marginal flange around said air inlet opening to support said wickv casing, a closure for ,said air inlet opening,

receptacleincluding a cover having openings therein, a heat distributing stack centrally connectetd with said cover, .a pair of diametrically opposite casings carried by said cover and extending at opposed angles toward the center of said receptacle, wicks carried by said casings, and disks arranged on the cover. over said openings adapted to regulate the flow ofair'tovthefuel receptacle and to the wicks for admixture with the combustible gases issuing therefrom.

centrally pivoted to the cen- In testimony whereof, have afiixed my signature.

"HENRY 's/ PHILLIIS. 

